Yesterday morning began with me going through my usual routine whilst clutching my mobile phone. I was waiting for the call from the breeder to say that she was on her way to the airport at Perth to drop Elsie for her 3.5-4 hour (depending on tail winds) flight to Darwin. The phone call came and triggered my stomach to contort itself into the smallest twisted knot possible. I swear it must’ve been the size of a walnut. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Even Flo knew there was something up because she usually goes and lies on her bed outside after she’s had her breakfast… yesterday, every time I passed the door she was there, staring in through the flyscreen!

After leaving work at lunch time so that I could be there to pick Elsie up from the airport the flight was delayed and it took a further half hour to get her from the plane to the pick up point (don’t ask me why… you can get from one end of town to the other in 15 minutes and this place is at the end of the runway). The stomach remained knotted. When she finally appeared she seemed to have travelled well but was definitely pleased to be out of the crate. The journey home was quieter than the first car trip I made with Flo, however, about a minute from home… she pooed! Thank goodness I took the time to put a new car hammock over the back seat! That last, unpleasant, minute of the drive was spent with the windows down and me giving it the dry boak (sorry, you can take the girl out of Scotland) while trying to adhere to the 50km speed limit in a built-up area. I leapt out of the car (almost throught the open window) to open the gate, greeted by Flo, whose nose went straight in the air a-la-hound. At that point she either realised I’d brought home another, unknown, dog OR she thought I’d brought home a car load of poo, and off she disappeared upstairs before I’d even got Elsie out of the car! This does not normally happen… she usually trots up and waits for me to get out of the car or (since not being allowed to go for walks) runs off up the street.

Miss Fab was curious, but timid on first introduction, however, she settled down quite quickly and managed a few chases and play bows. She is a bit too rough so there’s no unsupervised play at the moment, but I’m really pleased with how accepting she’s been so far. We just need to work on a little more ‘gentle’ and a little less ‘oaf’. I have many, (maaaaany) more photos to post of Flo and Elsie but will save them for future posts. :)

Elsie has been home for nearly a full day now and we’ve already managed a couple of stints with her in the outside pen – she’s got quite a howl and whine in her, so I’m not sure how it’s all going to pan out, but I simply can’t leave her in the garden at the moment. :( She busies herself for a while with her Kongs and biscuit balls, and chewing up the box I’ve got out there for her to use as a bed but then she resorts to some serious, SERIOUS howling. I put her out there this morning while I went to have a shower and I actually jumped out mid-shower because the noise was so blood curdling I thought she must’ve somehow trapped herself in the bars of the pen. Of course she hadn’t. She was voicing her displeasure at beign neglected and abandoned! She also whines to get outside so she can be near Flo, which is very sweet, but Flo’s needs a break from the full-on puppy energy too.

And…

here she is!

Are we there yet? I reeeeeaaaaaallly need to go to the toilet….

Elsie meets Flo. Fierce Flo runs away from the big, scary puppy.

Flo introduces Elsie to the joys of sprinkler chewing. Thanks Flo.

Fergus meets Elsie

George meets Elsie (George: “Oh no! Not ANOTHER one.”)

Faceplant snooze

Waking up after faceplant snooze!

Welcome Elsie! We already adore you. xx

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Welcome home, little Elsie. What a wonderful moment for you. Puppy breath is the best (and I am sure that it eventually conquered the car odours :). I am so glad that Flo has settled down now too. Wishing you all a wonderful, happy life together. Lotsaluv, MM in SA